D’Angelo Russell is finally back on the court for the Los Angeles Lakers after missing almost two weeks of action.
Head coach Darvin Ham is delighted to have him back and explained what Russell brings to the Lakers, prior to their game against the Toronto Raptors.
“I just think his size, his skillset, his brain,” Ham said. “I just think he’s a really talented smart basketball player and you have to account for him. He’s a smart defensive player as well. He’s this another added piece that we’re truly truly excited about, that people got a taste of what he brings early. And him coming out of this injury is great timing with LeBron’s circumstances so we’re really looking forward to that addition and we expect him to be a bit of a spark plug for us.”
“His size, his brain, he's a really talented smart basketball player… we expect him to be a bit of a spark plug for us.” Darvin Ham expects big things for @Dloading in his return to the team. pic.twitter.com/MAv8hbQm1T
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 11, 2023
The Lakers desperately needed Russell back on the court, as LeBron James is obviously out with an injury, while Dennis Schroder has been playing through an ankle injury. Schroder had to play big minutes because the Lakers needed a ball handler on the court and Russell now takes a chunk of that load off him.
The Lakers were 3-1 with Russell in the lineup and in the first three games before his injury against the Golden State Warriors, he had averaged 17.3 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 3.3 RPG. He is a much better fit with this group of players than Russell Westbrook ever was and will play a big role the rest of the way.
D’Angelo Russell And Anthony Davis Are Going To Be Vital If The Lakers Are To Make The Playoffs
While LeBron is exploring every possible treatment method to get back on the court, it will still be a while before he is cleared to play. That means the onus is on Anthony Davis and Russell, to get the Lakers into the playoffs.
Davis will need to continue being a force on both ends of the court while Russell needs to play the way he did with the Brooklyn Nets when he was an All-Star back in 2019. If the two of them manage to do it with some consistency, then the Lakers would even fancy their chances of getting the 6th seed.
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